(Sorry this has taken so long.) I know there wont be as many followers, but here is a detailed look at our amazing trip home.
FREMANTLE
Ok, so it has been a bit of time since my last post, but you will have to forgive me, it has been quite busy. We finished up our last academic duties for the semester at different times during the week, although mine was in the final timeslot on the final day – Friday. During the course of the week, people began to leave Port Lodge and head home (the week of June 15-20). It was a very dramatic and emotional scene each time this happened. One of the people commented that it was as if the sins of the last four and a half months were always forgotten as soon as someone said that they were walking out the door for the last time- and I agree with that evaluation. We had the final dinner for the dorm on Wednesday, and it was amazing- with 5 courses and many good memories. It was delicious and nobody really wanted to leave. Following that, I had finals on both Thursday and Friday going out.
After my last final on Friday, the hurry to pack began. I had put some things together during the course of the week, but was not ready to leave. I hurried and scoured the room for any last remnants of living there for 4.5 months, and threw it into two suitcases and a backpack. I got rid of some of the things that I brought over the semester, but I also accumulated things to bring home. That night was one I will never forget. A large group of us decided to crawl around Fremantle hitting up our favourite haunts from the months. We hit about 5 bars, but did not go to the Orient, our home bar and most frequented location, because we had begun there the first night, and it seemed better to let that be the defining moment there and the beginning, rather than the end.
People left the house for good during portions of that night and very early hours of the morning. Before you can leave, you have to go through a checkout process with one of the RSs. The male supervisor, however, became so inebriated the night before drinking with us and wishing people goodbye, that he could barely stand the next morning (I am not sure Ganesh ever really stopped drinking). I heard that he was completely useless for the checkouts at around 5AM. My checkout was 6:15am, and I only really got about 2.5 hours of sleep. When I awoke, he was still barely able to stand, and the checkout process was comical at best- but got done.
The shuttle came to pick us up around 7am. There were nine of us headed to the airport on the same shuttle, but it was very emotional saying goodbye to the remainder of the house, and was very hard to do. This included good friends from other colleges that would not be travelling with us, such as Nicole. It was lucky that we were not the last to leave, and that we still had trips to look forward to.
We arrived at the airport with plenty of time, and said goodbye to a few people who were headed in different directions. We then boarded our Boeing 717 for Ayers Rock.
AYERS ROCK
While there were many friends on the plane to Ayers Rock, some of them had to use this as a stop on the way to further stops, while six of us got off to stay. We had decided ahead of time that the best way to tackle Ayers Rock (Uluru) would be to rent a car. We were not 25, which caused a large surcharge, but with three in a car, it was the best way to transport our giant 2 bags each plus carry-ons. We got the cars and headed straight to the rock. Ayers Rock is instantly recognisable as an icon of Australia once you see it. During the flight in, our pilot went out of the way to fly right over it, as well as the nearby Kata-Junta (Olgas). You will know it as soon as you see it. We drove straight from the airport to the rock. The rock is well over 800 metres tall and is the largest monolith (single rock) in the world, but we decided to climb to the top immediately upon arriving. It is a steep ascent, and there are chains to help you some of the way, but after a few hours we made it over peaks and valleys to the summit. It was a good thing that we were there in the winter, as in summer people regularly pass out or get in trouble while climbing- some leading to death. The climb and the view from the top was amazing. We truly were in the middle of the “red center” of Australia, and there is absolutely nothing but Outback and desert to be seen in all directions. It is a very remote location. The climb was taxing, but totally worth it for the view from the top. Climbing down was also a bit scary and slippery, but we made it without much trouble – albeit taking our time. We made it down just in time to go to the viewing area and watch the sun set over the rock. It truly is a sight, and one that should not be missed on any trip to Australia. It is the view that postcards are made from.
After watching the sun go down, we checked into our hostel. There is a resort at Ayers Rock that is relatively new, and is the only thing at all in the area. The airport is actually owned and operated by the resort. We had burgers and some cold beer to reward ourselves for the tough climb, and called it a relatively early night. It was our first night gone from Port Lodge, and we bonded before falling asleep. Originally we were supposed to see a start show from the desert, but it was cancelled before we could go. No matter, as the bonding was nice, and our room of three people was cozy enough.
The next morning we got up early (around 6am) and began the 45km drive to the Olgas (Kata-Junta). It is the other rock formation in the area, and is amazing to see the sun rise over. We made it just in time to see the colours bounce off of the rock. Following that, we decided to head out on the hiking paths that go through the Olgas. The Valley of the Winds is about 10 miles long, and goes up and down over unsteady rock paths. It was pretty challenging, especially that early in the morning, but was a nice hike and good exercise- plus the views were really good. As we finished that, we headed to the other hiking location- a much easier one- that went through a gorge in the rock. After another 5 miles, we were back and ready for a break. We went to the lookout stand and got great pictures before heading to the airport. We turned the car back in, and caught a flight to Cairns, where a very different landscape awaited us.
CAIRNS
Cairns is essentially a tourist town that sprouted in order to fill the need of a hub for tourists to see the Great Barrier Reef. After visiting one World Heritage Site in Uluru, we would see two more in Cairns (the only place in the world to be host to two of the 13 World Herritage Sites). We landed in the middle of a jungle rain forest next to the Pacific Ocean. The rainforests of Queensland (and really the only jungles in Australia) are world renowned for their diversity of life in fauna and flora. We arrived and met up with a large group of friends that we had left at Port Lodge. The night that we got there 10 of the 30 P.L. students got together and had a nice meal and visited the night markets before calling it a night.
Cairns is a nice place with some really nice parks and public areas, but underneath it is evident by the shops and restaurants, as well as the hostels, that they are catering to the backpacking and tourist crowd. That caused a loud night to sleep through, but we were able before heading to the reef in the morning.
We went straight to the docks after waking up and prepared for the journey that would take almost two hours to get out to the outer edge of the reef. There were rough waves on the way out, and we had booked the fastest tour boat in Cairns, and this combination led to me becoming pretty sick on the way out. I put my head down and closed my eyes, and luckily did not throw up, but watched as others were sick in all directions. Once we stopped, I could not take it any more and took as many sea sickness pills as I was allowed, two of two different varieties. This really helped the rest of my day.
We went to three different dive locations on the reef, with an hour at each location. We saw giant sea turtles, sharks, sting rays, giant clams, lots of huge fish, and many colourful fish of all varieties. Also, of course, the coral was amazing. It is really a very beautiful place, and it is hard to fathom while you are there that you are actually at the Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest living object, and one that can be seen from space. The colours and the different formations were just like you see on the Nature Channel on TV, except you were right there, and could see the fish swim in and out. It was probably my favourite part of the whole trip.
After three one hour snorkels, and a meal and resting time, we headed back to shore. I stood on the outer deck going home, and the wind in my face and the cool water (along with all those pills) allowed me not to feel sick. It was a really great experience.
That night we headed to dinner, and stayed for the drink special afterwards. One of the activities that night was goldfish racing. We decided to bite, and we paid 6 dollars for the rights to a fish (the next cheapest fish curiously was 32 dollars). Marisa had a straw and had to blow bubbles behind the fish to make it race down the tank, as the competitor did the same. Our fish (Nemo) won the first race and made it to the final four, but lost a tough race in the next round, we took third. We finished up at the bar, and enjoyed some greasy and salty food before bed and headed back.
Our principal group while travelling is a three-some, Me, Keaton, and Marisa. People come and people leave along the way, but that is the core group. At this point, six of us went out to the reef, and four of us were staying together in the hostel, Sarina from Sacred Heart being the other. She would join us for our next activities as well.
The next day we checked out of the hostel and put our bags in another hostel across the street that had a luggage room. We then got a pick up for the Cairns Skyrail. It is a cable car gondola that works its way through the jungle and over a mountain to get to the jungle town of Kuranda. The rainforest is such a different place that Ayers Rock was, it cannot be described. Rather than seeing almost no life, we could now barely and rarely see the ground as the thick foliage covered the landscape. It was exactly as you dream a jungle should look like when you are a kid. We could see animals beneath the canopy, and the cable car rose just above the trees. During the ride there were two stops, one that allowed you to walk along the jungle floor and look at how dark and dense a rain forest really is, and another that led to a giant waterfall. The rainforests are amazingly beautiful, but in a very different way than Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef were. I enjoyed seeing the foliage and the emerald green colors very much. The waterfall was also very pretty.
Kuranda can best be described as a hippy liberal jungle town. It does a lot of business through tourism, and is reached only by the cable car or train. Yet, around 4,000 people live there. Markets and stands were set up, as well as shops, restaurants, and everything else a town should have. Everything in the stands was a little out there and colourful to the extreme. It was really my taste, but I enjoyed walking around the streets lined with trees, and seeing the town rising above the river and completely cut out of the jungle.
We got back just in time for the four of us to meet up with two others, and the six of us headed for the airport. After seeing the absolute desert in Ayers Rock, and the jungle and corral in Cairns, we were off to more of an urban jungle – Sydney.
SYDNEY
Whenever an outsider thinks of Australia, they immediately come to Sydney. Native Australians will tell you that they prefer the grittier and more exciting Melbourne to Sydney, but foreigners and outsiders will always head to Sydney. We got in late, and made it to the hostel. It was nice to see Kevin waiting for us, as it had been since Perth since we had seen him. Keaton, Marisa, and I shared a private room, and everyone talked before we called it a night.
In the morning Sarina and Marisa and myself planned to undertake one of the biggest attractions in Sydney- climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is a very expensive activity, thus limiting the amount of participation, but one the three of us did not think that we could miss. I guided us from our hostel (which happened to be in King’s Cross- the red light district of the city) down along the water, through the gardens, and through the famous borough of the Rocks to the bridge. As we walked in, pictures of celebrities who had completed the climb awaited us. After 45 minutes of safety talks and strapping us into our suits we headed outside to begin the climb. It turned out to be a beautiful day. They strap you to the bridge with no way to do much moving, and you are not allowed to bring anything with you (including cameras). On the climb with us was a family from Ann Arbor Michigan, and they were big U of M fans. They got a rise out of us from Notre Dame, and especially me from the East Lansing area and an MSU fan. The climb truly was a great experience. The views in all directions were perfect, and we could see a long way. The city is really beautiful, split in half by the perfect blue of the harbour, and the buildings in the background as well as the Blue Mountains further away lead to quite a backdrop. Of course, the star attraction – the Opera House- is right there and you get the best view possible. It is a long way up, and you get to the very top of the very highest point of the bridge- directly over eight lanes of traffic. You are right next to the flag poles. It really is an amazing bridge, and it is obvious why it is such an icon for the city. The climb was hard work, but not too bad overall and totally worth it. After you get back inside, you can get pictures that they took of you along the way – and of course you do – and they get you there again, but it was worth the experience.
We met the rest of the group following the climb, and went up the tower portion of the bridge for another great view. This time we could take our own pictures, and we got stunning shots of the Sydney Opera House from above. We walked through the Rocks, explored Circular Quay, and ended up at the square where St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral stands. It is enormous, as is the square, and it looms over the landscape. It may sound familiar – World Youth Day with Pope John Paul II was held there shortly before he died. We headed back up to King’s Cross to get a look around before dark. The road that leads up to King’s Cross will make your jaw drop. On both sides of the road are the most expensive car dealerships you will ever see. Bentleys, Maseraties, BMW, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lotus, and others lined the streets as if it is no big deal – (no Fords or GMs to be found on this strip). We stopped at a grocery store and picked up some food before going back. After cooking some dinner, we called it a night.
We wanted to go to a show or a concert at the Sydney Opera House, but it was the New South Wales State Children’s Music Festival while we were there, and they occupied all of the theatres in the complex – all tickets were predictably sold out. We had to settle for the tour of the complex instead. The exterior of the building is one of the most recognisable in the world, and it is easy to see why. While I was in the city, I could never fully come to grasp with the fact that the amazing building that I have seen pictures of and seen on TV was right before me. I never really could believe it. It is a place/thing that I always wanted to see, and it did not disappoint.
Now I am not much of a theatre person, but I think the exterior gains the praise for the building, not the interior. While it is nice, it does not have the décor or the exclusivity of say Carnegie Hall in NY. The ‘Governator’, Arnold, actually won his last body building title in the main hall of the building – I don’t see that being held in Carnegie. That being said, it was very nice, and is absolutely an architectural wonder that it was ever built. Kevin and I were moved by the opportunity, and ordered champagne in the restaurant within the house. We sipped the drink and felt sophisticated among the “beautiful people” there.
The Opera House is right near the enormous botanical and royal gardens, so we proceeded there next. We looked around Government House, where the Governor of New South Wales lives, and explored the massive gardens (part of which have monuments, and some of which are occupied by thousands of fruit bats). We decided that we had to visit the world famous Bondi Beach before we left, so we caught a beach for the outer reaches of the city and the beach. It was a lengthy bus ride that took us through some of the well known gay suburbs of the city, before arriving at the beach. It was the middle of winter when we arrived, so it was not packed like the pictures you see, but there were still surfers in the water. The whole beach was magnificent, and we walked all the way around the point of rocks to get the full effect. You can easily see why this beached is jammed in the summer, and why it is so famous. The people who own houses along the sides of the hill overlooking the beach are very lucky people.
We headed back to change, before going out for a nicer dinner. There was a big group of us that had finally reunited in the city, 9 of us, and we enjoyed a last meal as that group. Following dinner, we headed over to Sydney University where Kevin had friends from high school studying. We went to the American dorm for a dorm party, and it felt like being back at ND. There were no Aussies there, but plenty of Americans, and it was a lot of fun. We played beer pong, and probably had plenty to drink before catching a cab back to the hostel. It was a night that felt like we were home, and back at school.
The next morning I asked to take a route through the Central Business District of the city and see all the tall buildings. While we were down there, I decided that I wanted to go to the top of the Sydney Tower. It is much like the Space Needle in Seattle. It is the tallest structure in all of Sydney, and because it was a clear day it gave the best views of the city and the surrounding area. I ascended the tower by myself, and despite the incredible overpricing, the views were awesome. After coming down, there was an interactive experience that included a ride showing different parts of the country. It was kinda corny, but alright, and showed a lot of the places that I had been.
We headed to Darling Harbour, one of the more well known in Sydney, and boarded a harbour cruise. This company allowed different hop on and hop off stops, and we took full advantage. Our first stop was Luna Park. Think Coney Island in New York, but right on the water and right under the bridge in prime real estate. It is across from the main city, and is sort of odd in that real estate. There is one in Melbourne as well. Taking advantage of our location across the water, Kevin and I wandered around to see the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence, and the Royal Governor appointed by Britain (remember legally the UK still controls Australia – although it is mostly ceremonial now) home. Neither are much to look at, and you can’t get a great look, but they have the best location ever. They are on a peninsula that sticks into the harbour and looks directly at the bridge, opera house, and city skyline – in an area called Kirribilly. John Howard, the prime minister who left office a couple of years ago made huge waves when he chose to live in the Sydney Prime Minister residence, rather than the Lodge in Canberra. If you see the location (and also the one in Canberra), its hard to blame him.
Following the amusement park and government officials homes, we cruised to the end of the line and got off at a more remote area called Watson’s Bay. It is near the opening of the harbour to the ocean. It is a quiet little town with sailboats in the water, and a great view looking upriver towards the city. We had a nice lunch on the water of fish and chips, and relaxed. We saw a tiny bit of the town, before catching the last boat back to the city. Coming back were great views of the opera house in front of the bridge, the way NBC drew them for the 2000 Olympics logo.
Kevin and Keaton went to see some of her friends that were staying in the area, while I led the group back to the hostel. We decided to route through the state government area of the city. Remember, Sydney is the capitol city of New South Wales. The buildings, however, were less than impressive. I was expecting grand old architecture that was imposing and powerful, but rather they were all rather dumpy. They may have been old, but they were closer to decrepit than grand. We still got to see them, and now we know.
The last night was absolutely perfect. We decided to cook our own dinner and sit on the roof of our hostel, which had a perfect view of the city. We overlooked the skyline, and I grilled up one of our favourite, and most Australian meals that we had made while we were in the country- Kangaroo. It is a delicious red meat that is much better for you than beef- very lean but sweet tasting. I grilled up the Kangaroo, while Kevin prepared everything and made grilled veggies to put on top. Along with Keaton’s rice, it was a grand meal for our last day in Australia. Sitting there eating something so very Australian, overlooking a city that is iconically Australian, and with people that I will forever associate with Australia was the perfect send off. We had to say goodbye after the meal, as we would be leaving very early, and that was tough, but it was the perfect last night in the country after 4.5 great months overall.
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
The design of the New Zealand flag may be very, very similar to that of the Australia flag, but the countries are very different.
We left the hostel at 4am, and dreary eyed, Keaton, Marisa and I landed in Christchurch. Two others were on the flight with us, but they would not be spending any time with us once we arrived. The first day there we were dropped off in Cathedral Square, the main portion of town. After checking into the hostel (again in the red light district of a city), we decided to explore the town. We walked around the square and up and down the main streets and malls (portions where roads are not allowed to be driven on) with shops and cafes. The town overall is not very big, and we got the gist of the city. It is very English inspired, and that shows in the architecture and layout. We went to an office to plan the next days activities, the only location that we had not figured out before we left.
We decided that night to take the Christchurch Gondola up the side of the adjoining mountain, and get great views of the city as well as the bay that was positioned on the other side in the mountains. We got to the top not much before sunset, and had amazing views of the rugged mountains and city below us. On the other side, the harbour that launches many of the Antarctic expeditions lay in a valley. It was very picturesque, and very different from anything that we had seen thus far on our trips. We sat in the lookout station at the top as dusk settled in and sipped piping hot tea. When the woman told me the temperatures for where we were going the next day, in the 20s (Fahrenheit), I also purchased gloves and a winter hat. As the fog rolled in, we could not help but be amazed at what a different landscape we were looking at – but also very pretty. We grabbed some dinner on the way back and ate in our hostel before calling it a night.
Christchurch is known as the Garden City, for its enormous public botanical gardens that are almost the size of the city center. We did not get to see them while walking around the day before, so at dawn Keaton and I headed over to them. There was frost on the ground, so it was not great, but we saw why they are so well known. As we walked back to the hostel, we saw Victoria Square, the other side of the city. Soon we were picked up early for the Lord of the Rings Tour. Now before you laugh, I am not a huge fan of the movies, nor was anyone on the tour. The three of us joined three European girls in a 4x4 vehicle and began the long 3 hour journey to the Southern Alps. We took the tour of the location it took us at a price that was cheaper than other similar trips. We stopped along rivers and small country towns during the trip for food and sights, before getting over the foothills and into the alpine. The Southern Alps are really majestic mountains, and snow covered at the top. We wound around past Mount Hood, where skiing was taking place, and eventually we got to a valley that was surrounded by mountains on all sides. This was where the Lord of the Rings shot all the scenes for the kingdom of Rohan. Sitting in the middle is Mt Sunday, where in the movie, the fortress of Edoras sat. We were shown stills from the movie, and it was cool to see where we were standing in the film. We drove down and eventually climbed to the summit of Mt Sunday. The guide brought some replica stuff from the movies, but we were much more interested in the incredible views that we were looking at. Just as Australia is known as Oz, New Zealand is known as Middle Earth. This is partly because the films for LOTR were entirely shot there, and also because it is exactly the landscape that Tolken envisioned when penning his masterpiece. It really came alive for us as we sat there. Part of the tour was a champagne lunch, and we enjoyed sipping some bubbly and eating sandwiches as we looked over the view. It was a little cold, but completely enjoyable. The tour was well worth it. The South Island of New Zealand is remarkably beautiful and sparsely populated. People come for the beauty of the landscape and extreme activities that you can participate in. I wish that we would have had more time
We did not miss the fact that Christchurch presented another incredibly different landscape than any other seen on our journey to that point. Beginning in Fremantle with the artsy little blue –collar town, then Ayers Rock and the middle of the desert, then Cairns and the rain forest and corral gardens, then the metropolis Sydney, and finally the alpine and snow covered mountains of Christchurch.
AUCKLAND
The 10th day of travel began with an early wakeup call to head to the airport. I was worried as for the first time in the trip home, we were not flying Qantas, but rather low cost domestic carrier Jet Star. It turned out not to be a problem, and we even sat in row 1 with nothing in front of us but the stewards – something I have never done before. We arrived in decent weather, and took the long ride from the airport to the hostel on the outskirts of the city, where Kevin was waiting for us; he had gone straight to Auckland from Sydney. The hostel was an old home, and it was nice, but it was weird when we had to take our shoes off at the front door and not wear them inside. We walked downtown and saw the CBD, as well as the main shopping streets. Auckland is not a particularly exciting or must-see city. I am glad that we made it there, but for the largest city in the nation, it was rather unimpressive or distinguished in any prominent way. We grabbed a bite to eat, and then Marisa and I headed to our scheduled appointment at the Sky Tower. The Sky Tower in Auckland is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere, and they have an activity that they call “modified base jumping.” Instead of jumping off of a building and using a parachute, a rope instead tugs you up right before you hit the ground as a parachute should. It was odd, because we were a little nervous about this activity, but while suiting up a girl who will be a senior at Notre Dame in South Bend in the fall just like us helped us. She said that she recognised me, and it was weird to have a friendly face helping us so far away. She did not get an internship this summer, so she decided to spend the summer in Auckland, where she had studied abroad the semester before.
The Sky Jump from the tower was amazing. It was weird to get to the edge of the platform on the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere, and then almost in a suicidal manner look down and just jump. When you jump it stops you for a second just to make sure you are alright, and then lets go with full slack and you are just falling down, down, down, in a spread eagle shape with your back to the sky. It is an awesome feeling, and the adrenaline definitely kicked in hard. When I landed, I could barely walk because my heart was pumping so hard, but I wanted to go again. It was a great experience. Following this, we went up the tower and actually looked out the observation deck portion. Auckland has a harbour and a bridge much like Sydney, but is nothing of the grandeur. It is somewhat dirty, and really ordinary at heart. It does not utilise the water like Sydney does, but it still had a great view, and was somewhat pretty looking over the vast horizon.
The Notre Dame student told us about the great nightlife, but since we were not looking to go out that evening, we explored a really large mall area. There was a great cineplex inside, and we decided to grab tickets for The Hangover. I had already seen the movie, but it was so good I was willing to go again. Tensions had risen a little that night (a product of being together at close proximity for so long), so we grabbed a bite and went to the comedy. It was a good thing to lower the edge and everyone enjoyed it. We walked around the city at night to get a feel for it, and then went back to our room to sleep.
The next morning we were supposed to wake up at 8 AM to make a phone call regarding the weather, as to see if we could skydive that morning. Unfortunately, the cell phone that I was using as an alarm (it was good for nothing else because my service did not work in New Zealand) turned off in the middle of the night, and therefore did not ring to wake us up. We missed the call, and therefore the morning skydive. We called when we finally woke up around 10, and they said that they could slot us in that afternoon, but we would have to call later about the afternoon weather.
Because it was only going to be Marisa and I jumping, Kevin and Keaton headed out to explore one of the volcanic islands out in the harbour. Marisa and I, on the other hand, headed up to the Museum of Auckland and war memorial. It is right next door to the famous One Tree Hill. It is a great museum, and one that you could spend almost all day in. They have a great section about the native Maori people, as well as a spectacular war section that had a lot of artefacts from both of the World Wars. I enjoyed visiting immensely. It occurred to me while we were there, what a better relationship NZ has with its native people, the Maori (who have an appearance of deep Pacific Islander) than Australia has with the Aborigines, despite the fact that the Maori have only been there for 1,000 years, and some estimates show the Aborigines at 60,000 years. New Zealand has officially adopted Maori as a co-national language, and many signs appear in both.
After the museum and walk around, Marisa and I headed back to the hostel to call the skydiving office. It turns out that it was too cloudy and windy to jump that day, and alas we missed our chance to jump in New Zealand – regarded by many as the adrenaline location of the world. With the other two gone for the day, we decided to walk into the city and down by the water to see if we could tour somewhere on or across the water. We decided upon a ferry to Devonport, an old upper class suburb area on the other side of the harbour. The strait which we crossed was home to the America’s Cup when NZ hosted, and we got excellent views of Devonport, the city skyline, and the Harbour Bridge.
The city of Auckland is essentially built directly over a chain of volcanoes. Some of them are ‘extinct’ and others are still shown to be active. Theoretically, one of the active volcanoes could erupt at any time and destroy the city. It seems odd to me that the nation would take a chance like that while building their largest city- and scientists seem to agree that it is inevitable that eventually this will happen – though most think it will occur in around 1,000 years. Devonport is home to two extinct volcanoes, including Mt. Victoria and NorthHead. We made our way to the top of both of these for excellent views of the surroundings. Devonport was nice, and the tour was very complete on the area. There were many old cottages and homes with amazing views that were constructed around the time of the founding of the city. It also interested me that despite the fact that the temperature was in the 50s, and that it is not uncommon for their winters to be in the 40s, palm trees grew all around us. They must be a different type than found in the US. The town centre of Devonport is very artsy, and we wandered around after the tour, before finally catching the ferry back and walking back to the hostel. Keaton and Kevin joined us shortly, and Luke arrived from the South Island. That night we went to an Irish Pub (felt like the right thing to do as four ND students) and had a good meal. That night was trivia night at the pub, so we stayed and tried our hand as a table. We came in a respectable 4th out of 8, considering that much of the questions were New Zealand based. We had a couple of miracle correct answers, with Kevin and I each getting at least one amazing one. On our team were two Canadians. They put all the North Americans together. That didn’t help our performance, but they were nice and fun, and we had a great time.
The next morning was one of our most important early wake ups. We had to pack up, check out, and catch the city link bus by 8am. We took the bus to Victoria Park, and then walked towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge. We had trouble making our way, and we had to be there by 8:55. We were supposed to be at the bridge by that time to check in for our bungee jumping. We had paid for a double jump each, and Keaton, Marisa and I did not want to miss it. We made it just in time (the bridge is a long way from Victoria Park), and got strapped up. We walked out on catwalks just under the road to the peak of the bridge. There in a special pod built for bungee, we completed two bungee jumps each. I was a little nervous, but excited to jump – as I had heard that it was a lot of fun. If you look at a picture of the Auckland Harbour Bridge, you can see that it is no small structure. The first jump was a forward dive, and I was randomly chosen to go first. Without hesitation, and ignoring the voice in my head that said I was an idiot, I lept into the air and began to fall. It is an incredible feeling to just fall head first down towards the water. Finally, the cord caught and I rebounded and bobbed a couple of more times, before pulling the cord to release my feat. Hanging out over the water, I was slowly pulled back up into the pod. Keaton and Marisa got their chance, and then it was time for me to have my second jump. This time it was a backwards dive. I was supposed to turn my back to the water with my feet out over the edge. I then lean as far back out over the water as I can with my arms out, while an employee holds me to keep me from falling. He then lets go and your lean that you have produces the perfect backwards fall. I was much more nervous for this jump, and grabbed his arm a couple of times before finally relaxing. There was loud pump up music in the pod, and that really helped. Finally, I just relaxed, and knowing he would release me early, began to fall backwards. This method is by far more exciting and cool, but much scarier and harder to get yourself to do. I am really glad that I did the method though. There is great video of Marisa getting scared and trying to make herself do this, before finally the employee just pushed her off backward.
We headed back to the hostel where we met up with Kevin, and prepared to head to the airport. Keaton would not be going with us, as the next day she would fly back home. We hung out and shared last moments with her, before finally boarding the shuttle, and heading to the airport. The goodbyes were tough, especially since we had spent so much time together, but it helped knowing that ND is only 6 weeks away.
NADI (pronounced Nandy), FIJI
Everything about getting to Fiji was a nightmare for me. The shuttle to the airport was incredibly out of the way to get other passengers in the city, and took forever. Then when we arrived, the check in line also took forever, as Air Pacific is not the most efficient or competent at the process. After we got through, the flight was delayed 2 hours for a broken part on the plane that engineers had to fix and replace. When we finally arrived in Fiji, I discovered as I took my first bag off of the belt that a bottle of red wine had shattered in my luggage. Despite being wrapped, it destroyed a handful of clothing and goods in my bag- and caused a big scene on the floor of the airport. Following this, my second bag never arrived. Apparently, all the bags were placed on the plane, but worried about the part, and already overloaded, the airline took 70 bags off of the plane just before departing.
I had to go through a chaotic process of trying to inform the authorities of the problem, as an ill-equipped Fijian staff got bombarded by over 70 people. The worst story was that of the two gentlemen in front of me. They had just flown from Auckland, and were on their way to the equator for an expedition. They were dressed in turtlenecks and jeans, as NZ was cold. Neither of their bags arrived, and there was no way they could go on the expedition to the equator without their supplies, equipment, and clothing. Their flight was to leave the next morning at 5am, as they had no intention of spending time in Fiji, The first flight from Auckland was due to arrive at 4 PM. To make matters worse, the next flight to the equator was not for two weeks. They were screwed, and they tried to tell a confused staff that they wanted to go back to Auckland, since they had no other options, and that getting their bags to Fiji was of no help. I felt bad for them. My own problem was made worse by a mistake made at the check-in back in Auckland that had put my missing bag under the ticket of Marisa. I tried to explain that the sticker on the bag was that of Marisa Lopez, but the ID tag of Thomas Staudt. They couldn’t grasp this. We headed to the hostel, and I tried to inform them that technically Marisa had lost a bag (mine) but that she was not on the hostel reservation anywhere because it was under my name. They needed to accept the bag anyways and that I would pick it up. Further, the lodging was not what we had expected, a large room with 40 people, and us not next to each other, rather than a small four person room. Luckily, Luke was waiting for us at there, and the hostel is otherwise nice- right on the beach. We went out to ocean and had some Fiji Bitter – which I really like – and calmed down. I went to bed angry, however, and a little frustrated, just hoping my bag would come the next day.
The next day could not have been more different than the problems from the night before. We woke up and headed to a local store. You may find this hard to believe, but that Fiji Water that is popular in the US is very cheap in Fiji. We got some supplies and went back to the hostel. Kevin, Luke and I decided to take advantage of the free golf, the hostel/resort offered, so we walked down the beach towards the course. On the way a coconut man stopped us, and we ended up drinking a coconut, and eating the inside. Afterwards, we continued and got to the course. Locally, this course was advertised as the original home to Vijay Singh. If this is true, I can understand why he is such a bad putter relative to the PGA Tour. The greens were atrocious. Other than that, it wasn’t great, but it was awesome to play in Fiji. The clubs we got looked like they were made in the 1960s, and I decided only to hit the irons. I actually hit the irons really well, and am looking forward to getting back into the swing of the game upon arriving home. Playing in metres, rather than yards, and with poor clubs was challenging, but I had a good backside only playing irons, and shot a 43- not bad for my first round in 7 or 8 months. With better greens that could have been lower also. While on the course we met a couple who was getting a quick round in, who had just moved there from Detroit – no matter where we went we always somehow found a link to home.
That night we decided to take a cab to the swankier area of the town in the resort portion. There is a central area there, and it includes a Hard Rock Café. It was not the greatest Hard Rock, but I have now gone to the only Hard Rocks in Australia and Fiji. We grabbed some dinner and looked through some shops. Finally we headed back to the resort. We enjoyed ourselves down by the water, and then went to bed- overall a great day.
By now you have read that I modified base jumped, and bungee jumped twice, including backwards. You must be thinking- wow, that was exciting. It couldn’t end there. We had to complete the trifecta, so the next morning we were picked up early and taken to the SkyDive Fiji location. We filled out the paperwork, and selected 14,000 ft, the tallest dive we can do. Marisa and I got in the small plane, and for 30 minutes ascended higher and higher. It really gave a great view of Fiji, and the surrounding islands as well. Finally we reached our altitude, and the door was opened. Marisa jumped first, disappearing before my very eyes. Next I put my legs out the door, and just like that was freefalling back towards Earth. Freefall lasted 60 seconds, before the parachute opened and we drifted slowly back to the ground, landing gently on our butts at the resort. Following the jump, we released some of our adrenaline by walking up and down the beach. For the rest of the day we relaxed in the sun, listened to music, and read books. It was really nice, and it had been a long time since I had done that. That night after dinner, there was a traditional fire dancing display. That was very cool. After such a long day, I called it a relatively early night.
